1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to lock solution delivery devices for use with indwelling catheter assemblies and, more particularly, to a cap assembly for use with a prefilled lock solution syringe for delivering a lock solution to an indwelling catheter assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Indwelling catheter assemblies are commonly used to deliver medication to patients who require treatment over an extended period of time. Typically, an indwelling catheter assembly is inserted into a patient's vasculature and is secured to the body, e.g., the arm, of the patient. When a medication is required to be given to the patient, a syringe is secured to the catheter assembly via a reusable connector/valve, and medication is injected into the patient from the syringe through the valve/connector and through the catheter assembly.
Typically, the valve/connector includes a valve member which is pressed forwardly by the syringe during attachment of the syringe to the valve/connector, to open the valve/connector and facilitate delivery of the medication into the catheter assembly. When the syringe is removed from the valve/connector, the valve member returns to its sealed position. As the valve member returns to its sealed position, a vacuum may be drawn within the catheter assembly creating retrograde blood flow into the catheter assembly from the patient.
Syringes for delivering lock and/or flush solutions to catheter assemblies are well known. Generally, a syringe having a lock and/or flush solution is attached to the valve/connector and catheter assembly after medication has been injected into the patient. By injecting a lock and/or flush solution through the catheter assembly after a medication injection, any medication remaining in the catheter is flushed from the catheter and delivered to the patient and any blood drawn into the catheter assembly after removal of the medicament syringe is also flushed from the catheter assembly. However, upon removal of the lock solution syringe from the catheter assembly, the valve member of the valve/connector again returns to its sealed position and blood may be once again drawn into the catheter assembly. When blood is drawn into the catheter assembly, if the blood stagnates, the blood will eventually clot and occlude the catheter assembly. Further, stagnant blood provides a food source for planktonic bacteria which may lead to bio-film formation and a catheter-related bloodstream infection.
There are various types of valves/connectors that are designed to impart a positive displacement of fluid into the catheter assembly upon removal of the lock solution syringe. However, at times, an effective amount of positive displacement fluid to eliminate the existence of retrograde blood flow into the catheter assembly is not achievable. This may be partially due to the limited amount of fluid capable of being displaced by known valves/connectors which may be less than 1 mL. Furthermore, these valves/connectors are reusable and have been susceptible to bacterial contamination.
Accordingly, a need exists in the medical arts for an improved device for effectively flushing and locking a catheter assembly after injection of a medication into the catheter assembly which can be removed from the catheter assembly without drawing blood into the catheter assembly.